Imagine that you’re at the tailend of a hectic day. You look at the clock and realize it’s dinnertime so you whip out your phone to place an order for delivery. A new neighborhood restaurant pops up and you scan their menu hungrily in search of a combo meal platter.
Within seconds you feel overwhelmed and confused by their third party delivery menu. There are too many options, the pictures are blurry, and the menu item descriptions are vague. Frustrated, you exit quickly and opt instead for a reliable restaurant you’ve ordered from before. Your stress decreases, your family gets fed, and the day doesn’t go off the rails.
This is a common purchasing process in the life of many people each day. Customer service matters in every industry, but the stakes are especially high in the food and restaurant industry. Operators who integrate a user-friendly, intuitive third party delivery menu into their process will increase customer loyalty by giving customers clear options that are easy to navigate.
Chowly is dedicated to empowering operators and customers alike by implementing technology that increases efficiency while minimizing confusion. Here are 6 tips to optimize your third- party delivery menus to ensure you maintain control over your brand, increase customer satisfaction, and leave no money on the table.
6 Tips to Optimize Your Third- Party Delivery Menus:
- Improve menu images
A picture is worth a thousand words, and this is certainly true when it comes to food. According to reports, digital menus with professional grade imagery can increase sales by up to 65%. Investing in well-lit, clear depictions of each menu item pays off by keeping customers engaged and eliminating guesswork. - Restrict Menu Title Length
While it can be tough to trim menu titles and descriptions — especially if the item is particularly unique — brevity is key when it comes to grabbing the user’s attention. Titles of menu items should be easy to read and to-the-point. - All Menu Items Include a Description
When it comes to menu descriptions, a little bit of creativity goes a long way. Research shows 45% of the buying decision is inspired by the menu description — people want some insight into how their desires will be met. Creative descriptions that include adjectives describing texture, taste, and method of preparation can inspire greater desire for your distinctive food offerings, ultimately leading to more sales. - Descriptions are Easy to Read
Like titles, descriptions also need to be brief and clear, giving customers everything they need to know using no more than 50-255 characters. - Standardize Menu Pricing
According to research, consumers tend to associate prices that end in zero, five, or nine with good value. Some platforms, including Chowly, provide an upcharge feature that allows operators to offset commission fees and automatically optimize digital menu pricing. - Limit Menu Items Per Section
Despite perceived demand for endless choices, people actually feel more comfortable when presented with a limited number of options. The easiest menus to navigate feature no more than 7-10 categories and under 10 choices per category.
Digital menus are much more than just lists of food items — they are a restaurant’s primary marketing content. Chowly’s Digital Menu Grader pinpoints aspects of digital menu layouts that need improvement. It helps brands optimize and engineer third party delivery menus that lead to increased revenue. A clean, clear menu layout strengthens a restaurant’s operational and reputational efficiency. This keeps customers coming back: and not just for the great food, but for the great experience, too.
At Chowly, we pride ourselves on leveraging technology so that everyone — operators and diners alike — spends less time feeling stressed and more time feeling satisfied.
